An unforgettable historical about true love found and lost and the secrets we keep from one another from an award-winning author

Selina Lennox is a Bright Young Thing. Her life is a whirl of parties and drinking, pursued by the press and staying on just the right side of scandal, all while running from the life her parents would choose for her.

Lawrence Weston is a penniless painter who stumbles into Selina’s orbit one night and can never let her go even while knowing someone of her stature could never end up with someone of his. Except Selina falls hard for Lawrence, envisioning a life of true happiness. But when tragedy strikes, Selina finds herself choosing what’s safe over what’s right.

Spanning two decades and a seismic shift in British history as World War II approaches, Iona Grey’s The Glittering Hour is an epic novel of passion, heartache and loss.

First Line:

The February dawn crept in slowly, apologetically, as if it sensed how unwelcome it was.

The Glittering Hour by Iona Grey

My Review:

I was captivated by the blurb of The Glittering Hour. The impression I from the blurb is that it was going to be a sweeping romance. While it was that, it was so much more.

The Glittering Hour got off to a slow start but morphed into a fast-paced, heartbreaking book. There was no lag to the plotline. There were also no dropped characters or storylines.

I am not the biggest fan of the dual plotline books. I can’t keep track of going on. Not the case in The Glittering Hour. The author made sure that I knew what year (aka character) I was reading. Even the characters that had smaller roles (like the governess or the gardener) were clearly labeled. I had no issue following along.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of Selina when I first started reading her half of the book. She came across as spoiled. But, as the author got more into her backstory, I understood why she acted the way she did. I believe that is why she was so attracted to Lawrence. He gave her a sense of belonging that she didn’t get from her family. Her love for Alice was evident through the letters she wrote to her and Alice’s memories.

I felt awful for Alice. She was living with people who resented her presence. Her grandmother treated her awfully. She was so cold. It was painfully obvious when her younger cousin came for a visit, and he was indulged. I wanted to reach through the book and hug her; I felt that bad for her. My heart broke even more for her towards the end of the book.

I liked Lawrence, but I thought he fell for Selina too quickly. In an era where social and economic status were still barriers, I knew that he didn’t have a chance with her. I was mentally chanting, “Don’t fall in love, don’t fall in love.” But he did, and it was wonderfully sad.

There were a couple of twists in the storyline that took me by surprise. The one that involved Alice, I saw coming. But the other one blew me away. I didn’t see that one coming at all. When it was revealed, I had to put down my Kindle and take a minute to process it. I should have known something was up when Flick made an appearance!!!

The end of The Glittering Hour had me sobbing my eyes out. From the minute both twists were revealed, I was crying. What a way to end a book!!

I would give The Glittering Hour an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread The Glittering Hour. I would recommend it to family and friends.